Eight of travel’s leading charities have called for a new approach to mobility in England as a new collective body forms to lobby government.
The Sustainable Transport Alliance comprises the Community Rail Network, CoMoUK, Walk Cycle Trust, Living Streets, Community Transport Association, Campaign for Better Transport and Bus Users. According to launch messaging, their shared goal is ensuring everyone can get around the country easily and affordably without the need to own or hire a private vehicle, a move which would benefit regional economies, reduce road congestion, and improve pollution levels.
The collective has made three specific request of the Department for Transport. These are:
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Get transport operators and authorities, and housing and planning professionals, working together, prioritising connectivity between sustainable modes (rather than private cars), and positive outcomes for communities;
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Accelerate progress towards high-quality, accessible interchange, active travel infrastructure, shared mobility schemes, aligned timetabling, and fully-integrated fares, ticketing, journey planning, real-time information and personal assistance;
- Ensure communities are empowered to shape the integration and improvement of local transport, contributing local knowledge and driving locally-led solutions.
Wider reforms of bus, rail, and other forms of public transport also form part of the group’s vision. This comes at a time when Greater Manchester has revealed a marked uptick in bus users and new plans to rollout night services to all 10 boroughs in the metropolitan area after becoming the first region outside London to take services back under public control in January 2025. Throughout the city and its satellite towns, ridership has increased by 14% in the past 12 months, while satisfaction with wait times for buses leapt to 71% from 66% in the final months of privatisation.
Image: Winston Tjia / Unsplash
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